Medditeranean Fever
by Hanikamiya Mitsukai
Summary: Near has a rare disease called Medditeranean Fever that threatens his life. After the treatements Near regains his emotions and life at the Whammy's House was never the same again. MxN
1. Chapter 1: Fever

Disclaimer: I don't own shit!

This is Mitsukai *heart*

I was watching House and I got this magnificent idea to write a Mello x Near fic on my internet-less laptop, hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1**

"Near what's wrong with you!?" Mello screamed lifting the expressionless albino off the floor by his collar, "Don't you have any emotions!?"

"Yes." Near answered his face not even cracking in the slightest way to let emotion leak through..

"Then where the hell are they!?" Mello demanded violently shaking Near.

"I don't know." Near answered simply.

"How the fuck can you not know." Mello shook Near harder.

"Mello!" Matt yelled rushing over to the two boys and trying to pull Near out of Mello's grip, "Jesus Christ! What the hell did you do to him?!"

"What the hell are you—Oh Christ!!" Mello released his hold on Near and wiped his hands on his black pants.

"Damnit Near, that's gotta hurt, what'd he do to you?" Matt asked looking Near over frantically, "Mello, we've gotta get him to the infirmary!"

"What is going on?" Near asked looking between the two boys with a blank face.

"Near, you've got blood all over you! Don't you feel that?!" Mello asked before shaking his head and carefully picking Near up bridal style.

"Oh I see now. Did Mello injure me?" Near asked indifferent to the red substance soaking into his white pajamas.

"If I did, Near, wouldn't you have noticed?!" Mello asked while practically sprinting towards the infirmary.

"Oh my god, Mello what happened to him?!" A random kid asked as they passed her in the hall.

"Near's sick." Mello supplied quickly, not even bothering to spare her a passing glance. Matt shrugged at the girl sympathetically.

"Matt, if he's hurt and he didn't feel it, there's definitely something wrong with him," Mello said looking worriedly at the emotionless boy in his arms.

"Maybe… he's just… I dunno, immune to pain." Matt failed miserably at trying to come up with a good explanation.

"Impossible. Matt, are you really third in the house?" Mello scrutinized but didn't stop to criticize his friend any further.

"Dude, Mello…" Matt said looking down at the small boy who was starting to fall asleep.

"Near, Near! Stay with me little guy!" Mello shook Near gently and quickened his pace.

"Roger!!" Mello yelled desperate for help from anyone who would offer it, "ROGER!!"

"What ya'll hollerin' 'bout Yeller Meller?" a boy with a thick southern accent asked as he walked out of his room rubbing his ears.

"Feldspar! Damnit, something's wrong with Near!" Mello yelled stopping in front of the southern boy frantically. Feldspar looked at him surprised before looking at Near and swearing.

"What in the sam hell did ya'll do ta 'im?" Feldspar asked looking Near over and then frowning, "Looks like he's sweatin' blood."

"No shit Sherlock." Mello growled taking a menacing step towards Feldspar.

"All right Yeller Meller! I get it! I'll have mah Gypsum come down an' help ya'll with your white kin." Feldspar backed down putting his hands up in surrender. Mello growled at Feldspar's ridiculous nicknames for him and Near before continuing his journey to the infirmary.

"Mello, am I going to die now?" Near asked without the faintest hint of emotion.

"No." Mello answered firmly, he didn't show it but he was taken back by how emotionlessly Near could talk about his own death. How could he really not care if he died or lived? What kind of hell had he come from that could make him that indifferent? A whole flood of horrifying scenes involving Near and various painful tortures being inflicted on him by faceless, nameless people. Each one made him more and more worried about the fragile boy in his arms and with that worry came an overwhelming need to protect him from further harm both at his own hands and the hands of others that did or would in the future, wish the albino harm. Mello was pulled back into reality when they finally reached the infirmaries swinging double doors coated in a peeling layer of pale white paint that flaked away to reveal a sickly salmon color underneath. Mello didn't waste any time getting Near inside the medical wing, he kicked the door open scaring the doctors inside half to death and scattering more of the cracking paint onto the floor.

"Something's wrong with Near so get off your fat asses and help him!" Mello yelled effectively shattering the peaceful atmosphere in the empty infirmary for the second time.

"Mello?" one of the nurses asked with concern when they saw the blood coating his arms in a grotesque red film then quickly changed their attitude when they caught sight of Near, "What did you do to him!?"

"Mello brought me to the infirmary." Near answered keeping his normal stoic face unchanged as he defended his counter part.

"Near needs fucking help NOW!" Mello ordered stepping towards the nurse angrily. Mello was in no mood to deal with the older woman's accusations, Near needed immediate medical attention and he'd be damned if he let this woman yell at him for trying to get him it

"Alright, come to think of it, this isn't the first time we've seen Near in here…" The nurse chided accusingly, "This way Mello."

"Mello, Why are you carrying me?" Near asked suddenly, staring up at Mello with his normal abnormally blank stare, "I have a case, I need to go."

"Near…" Mello said at a loss for words, Mello knew that Near had no unfinished cases for that day and he seemed even more detached than normal. That scared Mello.

"Mello," A female voice called from the entrance with a well hidden southern accent snapping Mello out of his panic, "My brother said that you wanted me to see Near?" The girls eyes scanned the room before focusing in on Near.

"Gypsum, I thought we told you to let us do our job." A nurse said in sickly-sweet voice pulling Gypsum out of what ever thoughts she was having about Near's ailment, the look in her eyes made it needless to say that it pissed her off.

"Face it girly, you need my help, you don't know shit 'bout what's happenin' to him." Gypsum said glaring at the nurse furiously, a storm raging in her violet eyes that promised pain to anyone that dare oppose her.

"Any who, Mello, I heard you asked for me." Gypsum said with a complete change of heart hobbling over to Mello on her purple crutches and smiling friendlily at him.

"Yeah, now help Near." Mello glared at her but was trying to be polite.

"Near, are you lactose intolerant?" Gypsum asked grabbing a stray clipboard with plain notebook paper on it, the first sheet had some nonsensical drawings of an orange cat and a grey mouse fighting on it with a clueless looking girl and a black dog in the background, Gypsum rolled her eyes and tore it out crumpling it into a ball in the process and threw it on the ground.

"Yes." Near answered watching the paper ball roll across the floor.

"What is your ethnic background?" Gypsum asked after scribbling down his first answer.

"Mostly Thai but some Mediterranean on my mothers side." Near answered again without hesitation or emotion. While Gypsum was writing it down Mello brought her a cheap plastic chair from the desk at the front and she quietly thanked him before sitting down and handing him her crutches which he carefully put on the ground near her.

"Is this the first time that this has happened?" She asked placing the clipboard on her knees.

"Yes." Near answered settling his gaze on the clipboard.

"Have you ever been an emotional person?" she asked quickly glancing up at him from the clipboard.

"I believe that I used to be but now I am not." He answered still refusing to change his expression even the slightest.

"You do understand that you may die don't you?" Gypsum looked up at him from the clipboard to see his reaction this time.

"Yes." Near answered not meeting her eyes and keeping the same tone he had since everything started.

"How does that make you feel?" Gypsum inquired furrowing her eyebrows in concern and leaning forward in her chair.

"It doesn't." Near said looking her dead in the eye. She couldn't detect the faintest of emotions in those cold grey eyes, no flicker of fear, no sliver of sadness, no jolt of joy, no remnant of remorse, nothing.

Gypsum paused for a moment before continuing her questioning, "Do you consent to any and all treatment?"

"Yes." Near answered unchangingly.

"Alright, Thank you Near." Gypsum smiled and nodded at him then turned to the doctors, "Check his Kidneys and… check if he's asleep."

"Asleep?" The female nurse asked skeptically.

"Just do what I stay and he might live." Gypsum ordered keeping her eyes on Near but his facial expression did not change, nor did the hollow look in his eyes that chilled her to the bone.

"Mello, I'm going to prepare treatments, do you want to know what I think he has?" Gypsum asked looking at Near with concern etched on her face, she didn't wait for Mello's response, "Mediterranean Fever."

"What?" Mello asked genuinely confused.

"To google." Matt said unenthusiastically standing then walked over to one of the nurses computers."

"Mello, it fits." Matt said motioning Mello over, "Dude, this shit has Near written all over it!"

"Symptoms, are basically no emotion, kidney failure, sleep walking, and excreting blood through the pores." Matt summed up the article on the page.

"Gypsum," one of the doctors called through the sound of the beeping monitors and Matt's voice, "His Kidneys, he's not in good shape."

"How soon an we get him a transplant and can you actually do it?" Gypsum asked with doubt.

"With L's concern and hook ups," The first nurse paused, "We're doing the operation in five hours tops."

"Let the treatments begin." Gypsum smiled genuinely and ushered Mello and Matt out.

TimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkipTimeSkip

Mello sat alone in the waiting room later that night, it was around two AM and Matt had left hours ago for bed. Mello was mumbling quiet prayers to himself, he hadn't even known that he really gave a damn about Near until he'd seen Near covered in his own blood. That had scared the shit out of him, he couldn't even think straight right now, all that he could do was pray that Near would be ok. There was nothing he could even do to help the younger boy.

"Damn, it took this to make me realize it?" Mello asked himself scornfully, he cared about Near, once he'd thought about it he knew it. He wouldn't have carried Near all the way to the Infirmary if he didn't care. He wouldn't still be there if he didn't care.

Mello heard the sound of the infirmary door swinging open along with the sound of rubber hitting tile and whipped his head in the direction it came from.

"Oh! Mello, you can go in now," Gypsum yawned but was none the less surprised, "I'm going to bed. He'll be waking up soon."

"What?! I thought he just got out of surgery?" Mello knew that it took longer than a few minutes for some one to wake up from anesthesia.

"Actually he got out of surgery a while ago," She explained, "We just thought you'd be gone already. We had no idea you were waiting."

Mello didn't even bother swearing at her, he just pushed the swinging hospital doors open and ran on through.

"Where is he?" Mello demanded storming over to the first doctor he saw.

"Mello, I don't think-" they started glancing nervously at one of the other doctors.

"I don't give a damn what you think," Mello hissed aware that somewhere in the room Near was sleeping peacefully, "Just tell me where Near is."

The doctor sighed and shook his head, pointing towards one of the rows of white curtained beds.

"Thanks." Mello said brusquely. He quickly walked between the two rows of identical beds, his chin length hair flying behind him. He stopped when he saw a bed with a small figure in it surrounded by beeping and whirring machines. Mello followed the IV drip to a pale arm lying on top of the covers. Near was wearing a short-sleeved, pale white hospital gown that matched his sheets and the curtain around his bed that was drawn back so it wasn't hiding the patient from view.

"Near…" Mello whispered walking towards the bed. There was a yellow plastic chair next to the bed from when Gypsum had been asking questions but Mello ignored it and fell to his knees next to Near's bed.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Mello whispered gently touching Near's hand with his own.

"Mmn." Near made a small childish noise and rubbed his eyes with his IVless hand before opening his eyes and fixing his gaze on Mello, "Mello?"

"Oh God Near!" Mello was practically crying for joy and he gingerly embraced Near, "Please, tell me that you're alright!"

"Mello?" Near asked tilting his head to the side and reaching his hand out towards Mello but his hand froze halfway. "M-Mello?!"

Mello let him go and moved back a little when he heard Near's voice raise with fear.

"Near?" Mello asked looking at him oddly.

"Mello-Mello _hates_ me! Mello_ likes_ to hurt me!" Near cried trying to get as far away from Mello as his condition would let him. Mello shook his head in denial.

"I'm sorry, I really am, just give me some time to explain," Mello said apologetically and reached for Near, "Now settle down or you'll hurt yourself." Mello said soothingly for the first time in a long time.

"Mello, I'm confused." Near said letting Mello reposition him in a comfortable and safe position.

"Shhh, it's ok." Mello comforted Near gently stroking his hair, "You're ok. Let's start out new." Mello backed up and extended his hand to Near, "My name's Mello, I'm thirteen years old, I like chocolate and dislike steamed vegetables. My blood type is type A and I was born on December thirteenth."

"I'm Near, I like toys and I'm not sure what I really dislike. I'll turn thirteen in two weeks. My Blood type is B and I was born on August twenty-fourth." Near said smiling at Mello. Mello couldn't help but smile back

"Your birthday is sixteen weeks before mine. No fair." Mello fake pouted and Near laughed. Hey, you'd laugh if Mello fake-pouted at you and you know it!

"…cute." Mello mumbled, thankfully Near didn't hear him.

"Oh! Mello, Thank you for taking me to the Infirmary." Near said sending another adorable smile Mello's way.

"Any time." Mello smiled back at him and felt his heart flutter a little.

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Yes I am alive… for now. flame if you feel like it, I don't mind.

*Keyboard Disconnected*

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	2. Chapter 2: Near's Room

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note.

Mitsukai-chan here!!

XD Thank you all so much for reviewing!!! It made me soo happy!! You have no idea how happy I am!!! And it made me so much more excited that I got a review from Forbiddensoul562, once you finish this chapter, go read their story _Broken Pride_, It's amazing!!!

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The next morning an annoyed nurse shoed Mello away from Near so she could check his vitals and give him a sponge bath which Near thanked them cutely for in advance.

"Bye Mello!" Near cried happily after him waving the best his condition would let him, "You'll come visit later right?" He asked cheerfully.

Mello turned away blushing faintly, "We'll see." Mello answered trying to sound like he didn't care.

Near smiled at Mello's retreating form, just because he had his emotions back didn't mean he didn't remember how Mello was. He still remembered his rough yet caring ways, how every time he hurt Near he would be secretly lurking outside the infirmary, awaiting any news on the damage he'd caused and once he was sure the damage could be easily mended he'd leave, without a trace and without a word.

Near turned to face his nurse, "He'll be back." He said grinning at the woman as she checked the monitors. She nodded and smiled back at him solely because Near was so cute that anyone with a heart couldn't help but smile back at the fluffy white ball of cuteness. (cuteness overload much, lol)

**With Mello**

"Wake up Matt!!!" Mello yelled smacking the gamer in the face with a soft feathery pillow turned deadly weapon.

"Ahh!! I'm sorry Mom!!" Matt yelled flailing in his tangle of blankets and falling gracelessly out of his bed.

"What the hell Matt?" Mello demanded jumping back to avoid being kicked by the still flailing gamer who was made oblivious to his surroundings by a Mario print sheet draped over his head. Annoyed with his friends stupidity… or was it something else? …nah. Mello bent down and swiped the sheet off Matt's head and tossed it back on the bed.

"Oh, hey there Peach," Matt said grinning cheesely (it's not technically a word) with his goggles askew on his face, "What's a beautiful princess like yourself doing in a place like this?"

Mello growled and lightly kicked Matt in his side, not enough to actually hurt him but enough to get his point across.

"Ouch, rejected." Matt feigned hurt as he sat up and adjusted his goggles, he'd fallen asleep right after he got back to his room last night so he was still wearing his clothes from the day before, "so what's up Peach?"

"I need to talk to you about something Matt." Mello said sitting down backwards in one of the stray fold out chairs in Matt's room, he'd nicked them from a ladies front porch a few years back and kept them so there was somewhere for Mello and him to sit when they played one of Matt's games (yes, he shares).

"Well you see, Peach," Matt started tossing his blankets back on his bed and looking at Mello, "there's a special time of the month-"

Matt was cut off when one of his own shoes was chucked at him, narrowly missing his head, "Yikes Peach, didn't know it was that bad."

"Shut up Matt!" Mello roared at the grinning gamer, "I'm serious!"

"Alright Mel. I'm listening." Matt said buckling down seriously and sitting in his bed facing Mello.

"I—um…" Mello didn't know how to put it now that he actually had Matt's attention, "Well you see… I think…"

"Yeah?"

"You know that time when I broke your nose?" Mello asked glaring at the wall behind Matt.

"What about it?" Matt asked in return, running a hand through his burgundy locks in an attempt to rid himself of his bed-head.

"I think you might've been right." Mello sighed, also running a hand through his long blonde hair but in frustration rather than a failed attempt to fix it.

Matt thought on it for a minute.

_Flash Back_

"_You sure do _love_ talking about Near don't you?" Matt Teased the hot headed blonde, "You sure you don't looooove him?" _

_The next thing Matt saw was Mello's fist heading straight for his face._

_Flash Back End_

Matt was at a loss for words. Mello not hating Near? Mello _like-_likingNear? Was that even possible?

"Say something Matt!" Mello yelled tossing a Mario Mushroom plushie at the red head boy. The toy just bounced off his head and rolled off the messy bed. A few minutes later the gamer had processed the whole thing and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Speaking of the little lamb, how is he?" Matt asked straying a little off topic.

"I'm going to go visit him later, you can come with me," Mello stood up and walked over to his friend, taking a seat next to him, "don't get off topic!"

"I'm cool with it Mels," Matt said pulling his goggles down around his neck and looking Mello dead in the eyes, "as long as you're happy Mello, I'm cool with it."

"Thanks Matt." Mello sighed leaning his head on Matt's shoulder, he felt like a huge load had been lifted off his shoulders, "That means a lot to me."

"Any time Mel." Matt smiled hugging Mello around the shoulders. It was a perfect brotherly moment between the two friends.

"Hey Matt," Mello said sitting up straight after a few minutes and grinning, "I think I owe you a game"

"No way!" Matt said jumping up and grabbing Mello's shoulders. He lightly shook the blonde making him laugh, only Matt got to see Mello like this, so relaxed and not on the brink of destroying someone's face. He had a feeling that soon, he would lose that solitary right. It made Matt a little sad on the inside but he was still glad his friend was willing to let someone else be that close to him, but still…

"He can smile!?" Matt yelled jumping up and down on the bed excitedly.

"I know!!" Mello laughed falling back onto the bed laughing out loud.

"Hey Mel, sorry to take the conversation back a couple of minutes but are you like flat out gay or bi or what?" Matt asked looking down at Mello with a curious grin.

"I'm gonna have to say flat out gay." Mello said blowing his bangs out of his eyes, "I mean, I've never been interested in any girls, at all. I used to have sort of a crush on this one guy a while ago but I guess I was in denial."

"What d'you mean?" Matt asked plopping down Indian-style (I don't mean to offend anyone.)

"I didn't know what exactly I was feeling for the poor sap, I just kind of brushed it off." Matt raised an eyebrow at him, "Ok, so what if I just made up excuses, it's none of your business Matt."

Mello sat up and crossed his arms fake pouting at Matt.

"So when we goin' to see Near?" Matt asked being an expert at diverting Mello-tantrums.

"Well he should be finished with his bath soon…" Mello said thoughtfully, "let's head to his room and kidnap some of his shit for him."

"Y'know Mello, you have a way with words." Matt sighed stepping off the bed, "You make everything sound so nice."

"Save it for someone who cares." Mello grinned following suit after Matt.

Matt opened his door and stepped into the hall. Mello followed him out and glanced around surveying the people that were around.

_Gossipy group of girls, ages 11-13, two blondes, three brunettes, and a red head. Loner guy walking through the halls, book in hand, "Of Mice and Men." Loner chick leaning against a wall, 10.35 feet to the left, baseball cap, overalls with the pant legs rolled to mid shin, bob cut, fiddling with a pair of scissors._

"Hey Matt, how many people know about what happened last night?" Mello asked quietly.

"Ummm, me, you, Feldspar, Gypsum, the nurses, and a couple of random kids but they just saw us in the halls." Matt said closing and locking his door with the silver key he'd produced from his pocket.

"Ok." Mello aid before looking at Matt's door that had just mad a nearly inaudible beep.

"I take it that you updated your security?" Mello asked walking towards the loner girl and Near's room.

"Yup." Matt said unwilling to give any details yet. Mello smiled and shook his head.

"God, you're so paranoid." Mello scoffed lightly punching Matt in the shoulder.

"Ah! Oh god Mello you broke my arm!" Matt feigned sinking to his knees, clutching his upper arm in mock pain.

"Ugh, get up loser, you're making a scene." Mello growled glaring at the group of girls who were staring at Matt. He was a pretty convincing actor.

"Mello, you ass hole." Matt hissed through clenched teeth. Mello could see crocodile tears welling up at the corners of redheads eyes.

"I'm leaving you behind." Mello declared stepping around his fallen comrade.

"ack! Wait up Peach!" Matt called giving up his act and wiping his eyes dry.

"Hurry your ass up." Mello grit out. Matt knew he wasn't actually angry so it was alright. Matt did as Mello said and hurried to catch up to him.

"So what are we kidnapping from Near's room?" Matt asked smiling like nothing had happened.

"Uh, I guess a couple of his toys and some of his puzzles." Mello said thoughtfully. Matt pulled his goggles back up just then. He'd forgotten that he'd taken them off.

"Matt, I think you should leave those things off for a while, you'll fuck up your skin." Mello said glancing at Matt's favorite eye gear.

"That didn't sound feminine, not at all Peach." Matt teased knowing that he was treading in dangerous waters but going ahead and pushing his luck anyway.

"No, Matt, I mean like those red marks." Mello said flicking one of the lenses on Matt's goggles, he knew the skin was ultra sensitive and probably bruised underneath the plastic frames. In other words, it hurt like hell.

"Ow! Mello that fucking hurts you know?!" Matt yelped gingerly touching the lens. He winced, obviously in pain.

"You see what I'm talking about Matt?" Mello said smacking Matt in the back of the head.

"Alright, alright," Matt surrendered pulling the goggles down around his neck, "I'll leave them off for today Mom."

"Thank you." Mello sighed trying his best to ignore Matt's last comment.

When they arrived at Near's room, which he had to himself, much like all the other kids in the Whammies House, except it was insanely clean and undecorated.

"It screams Near." Matt said clapping his hands together once.

"No it doesn't." Mello said harshly, "He's nothing like this."

"Sorry." Matt apologized compulsively. He had a tendency to do that, but it'd been getting better lately.

"It's ok, you couldn't have known." Mello said waving a dismissive hand in Matt's direction. Mello surveyed the room.

_White dresser. White clock. White carpet, no stains. White lamp on white bedside table, exact center. Bed with white sheets, made up neatly. Nothing but a set of Dominoes on dresser, neatly placed, most likely neatly arranged. Near can't play with dominoes in the hospital. Closet. Bingo._

Mello walked over to the closet, which unsurprisingly had a white door and shined silver nob. He turned the perfectly clean door knob and grinned. Jackpot.

Shelves of Neatly arranged toys lined the walls of the walk in closet. A shelve with various transformers and robots caught his eye first.

"Hey Matt, get over here." Mello said beckoning the gamer who had previously been going through Near's dresser over to the closet. Matt curiously peeked over Mello's shoulder.

"Oh my god, it's like toys 'r' us in here!" Matt said only half joking. Mello shook his head and started rummaging through the neat closet.

"Hold this." Mello ordered shoving Optimus Prime into Matt's hands.

Mello continued rummaging through Near's closet adding a couple of little toy cars, a deck of cards, and a cute little fluffed rabbit to Matt's awaiting arms before deciding it was good enough for now.

"Let's go Matt." Mello said shutting the closet door to hide the small mess he'd made in Near's perfectly organized room. He felt kind of guilty for destroying the perfect order in Near's room but didn't necessarily want to clean up the mess he made. Nope, definitely not.

FEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVERfeverFEVER

**All right, I know that this wasn't as good as it could be. But hey, I tried. And I kinda got side tracked. ^_^' Two knew June Yaoi novels, heck yes!! And I will be writing a fic for Matt's Birth Day on February 1 he's turning 18 I think. So does any body strongly oppose or really like MelloxMatt or MattxNear. If there's no objections I'll probably do MattxNear. Signing off I'm**

**-****H. Mitsukai**


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